Sometimes when you’re in a rush or it’s late at night and you need to throw something together, there’s nothing better than a toasted sandwich. A controversial choice may be a tuna melt, but the food experts at Good Food have suggested there’s one ingredient you can add to take it to the next level.
In a TikTok video from September, Good Food’s Beck Johnson revealed the one ingredient she now adds to every tuna melt recipe. Beck said: “I’ve never thought of adding this ingredient to tuna melts, but now that I have, I’m never going back.”
So what is Beck’s secret ingredient? Gochujang. A fermented red chili paste made with gochugaru, glutinous rice, meju powder (fermented soybean powder), yeotgireum, and salt, most commonly used in Korean cuisine.
Good Food wrote in the caption: “You need to try the secret ingredient in this tuna melt! If you’re heading back to uni soon, save @beckbitesback ‘s upgraded tuna melt recipe for a quick, cheap lunch or a late-night snack. The added gochujang gives it a spicy-sweet kick – you’ll never want a plain one again!”
Beck explained that by added a bit of gochujang to a tuna melt, you’ll get a “super spicy, sweet kick” that she never knew it needed.
Good Food’s video has been viewed over 185,300 times, receiving 3,106 likes and 43 comments. One foodie suggested: “I also add sliced tomato. It just completes the tuna melt.”
Verstegen UK commented: “Certified 10/10 meal right there.”
Patrick said, “This looks godly,” while another wrote, “Every now and then, I crave a tuna melt. It’s the perfect comfort food.”
Another account agreed: “Right?! Like, it’s just a whole vibe! Can’t wait to dig into one again.”
So next time you want to level up your tuna melt, all you need to do is add gochujang. Find Good Food’s recipe below.
Ingredients
- Two x 150g tinned tuna, drained
- 50g mayonnaise
- One tsp gochujang
- 1 spring onion, finely sliced
- Four sourdough slices
- 60g cheddar, grated
- One tbsp butter
Method
Tip the tuna into a bowl and mix in the mayonnaise, gochujang and spring onion. Season to taste. Either chill for later, or if ready to serve, continue with the recipe.
Divide the tune between two pieces of bread, top with the grated cheese, then close the sandwiches with the other two pieces of bread.
Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium-low heat. Fry the sandwich for two to three minutes until golden, then flip and cook for another two to three minutes until crisp and the cheese has melted. Cut in half to serve.